Microphone mask



1961 A. D. TRALLER 2,997,550

MICROPHONE MASK Filed Sept. 3, 1957 INVENTOR. ALFRED D. TEALLER /3 M {MM United States Fatent 2,997,550 MICROPHONE MASK Alfred D. Traller, Seattle, Wash, assignor to Boeing Airplane Company, Seattle, Wash., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 3, 1957, Ser. No. 681,607 8 Claims. (Cl. 179188) In the preflight testing of high-thrust airplane jet engines, it is necessary to provide for voice communication between the pilot or other operator in the control cabin and ground attendants, one of whom is in charge of the testing. The noise generated during run-up and full power jet engine testing is so loud that with equipment heretofore available voice communication has proven impossible. Communication between engine test stations and cockpit control stations has been limited heretofore to microphone switch signals or hand signals, or both.

The present invention provides an acoustically insulated housing for a microphone, built into a microphone mask applicable to the face of a speaker, the mask being of peculiar construction, and in particular having built into it one or more elongated irregularly shaped recesses shaped to provide, when parts are in position of use, a sound-dissipating passage or passages for the expulsion of the users breath and for intake of air for his breathing. This passage or these passages are of such nature, on account of interruptions and irregularities in their shape, and in material of such characteristics that, while the passages are adequate for breathing, they are so interrupted and meandering that they will muflie and deaden sound and obstruct its access to the microphone, whereby it is wholly feasible to carry on conversation through the microphone in a normal tone without difficulty and over extended periods, yet with no discomfort to the users. The air passages referred to are so designed that airborne noise within the speech interference range of 100 c.p.s. to 6000 c.p.s. is reduced to the extent that voice communication by microphone can be achieved in areas of highintensity sound. For convenience such passages will hereinafter be described simply as meandering.

Such a mask will be used at one time by a given user, and later by a different user. In order to avoid transmission of respiratory infections by reason of lodgment of germs, virus, etc. in the meandering passages, for inspiration by a later user, it is highly important that these air passages be freely and wholly accessible, and readily cleansed before use by another. Unless they are, cleansing will not be done, or if done at all will be done imperfectly. The provision of a construction enabling easy and thorough cleaning, yet a construction that maintains separation in use of the several parts of the air passages, is another object of this invention.

The invention has other desirable characteristics. It is of compact construction for quick, easy handling. The acoustical insulating material comprises the actual material of which the mask is constructed. The integrally molded air ducts muflie the airborne noise during breathing, and in addition relieve build up of air pressure on the microphone during voice communication. The mask is constructed of two parts which, in use, are interfitted readily and held thus securely, but which are readily separable to leave an inner and a separate outer shell, each of which, and all the air passages whereof, are accessible for cleaning and sterilizing as needed.

In addition, the invention is of simple construction and readily manufactured, and is of rugged construction, not easily damaged. Furthermore, it is so built as to protect a microphone from the probability of injury should the mask be inadvertently dropped.

With such objects in mind, and others as will appear fifiiiiifii Patented Aug. 22, 1961 ice more fully hereinafter, the present invention comprises the novel microphone mask shown in the accompanying drawings in a representative form, and as will be more fully disclosed hereinafter, and the novel features whereof will be set forth in the claims.

FIGURE 1 is a sectional view of the mask, shown in position of use, taken on a vertical forward and rearward plane.

FIGURE 2 is a similar sectional view through the outer shell, but showing the inner shell in side elevation, interfitted with the outer shell.

FIGURE 3 is a similar vertical sectional view through the outer shell alone.

FIGURE 4 is a half section through the outer shell showing the same in elevation at one side and showing the inner shell in elevation at the opposite side, looking from the front.

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4, but looking from the rear or users side forwardly.

The mask comprises essentially an outer shell 1 and an inner shell 2. These shells are held interfitted when in use in a manner that will be explained later, and in use the composite mask, and especially the inner shell, is contoured to fit the face of the user, in particular, the users nose, mouth, chin and cheeks. It might extend over a greater portion of the users face, but such is not considered necessary. In use, it would normally be held by hand to the face by the user, as shown in FIGURE 1, although straps or the like to retain it in place may be employed, if preferred.

The inner shell, in particular, is made of a soft yieldable material, such as sponge rubber or the like. Preferably, the outer shell is likewise made of sponge rubber, but is formed with an external skin 10 which is substantially form-sustaining. The skin may be for example, a resin-impregnated fabric or even a resin by itself, coated upon the sponge rubber.

The inner surface of the inner shell 2 is formed with ridges 20-, including one which extends substantially continuously about its margin and others inwardly thereof, which serve to fit closely against the users face and to block out direct entry or exit of sound or air. One or the other of the shells is socketed for the reception of a microphone M, to hold the same in position of use with respect to the users mouth. Preferably, the socket 21 for this purpose is formed in the inner wall of the inner shell 2. The inner shell 2 may also be formed with some free space as, for instance, a chamber 29 and a socket 22 in the vicinity of the users nose and month, which will permit the user to breathe through his nose or mouth or both. An aperture 23 through the inner shell 2 allows exit of breath from the interior of the inner shell and entry of air. This aperture 23 may be in the form of or by preference communicates with a transverse slot 24 at the exterior surface of the inner shell.

The shells are held in interfitted relationship by means such as interengaging flanges, such as the inwardly or forwardly facing flanges 11 adjacent the margin of the outer shell 1, and the matching outwardly or rearwardly facing flanges 25 upon the exterior Wall of the inner shell, the two shells or at least one thereof being of soft flexible material, such as the sponge rubber mentioned. These flanges may be made to intenfit readily and will hold adequately, yet the flexibility of the shells enables them to be readily disengaged to separate the two shells, and to be reengaged.

Formed in the mating surfaces of one or the other of the shells, or in both thereof, are the meandering passages for air and for the users breath. Preferably, these passages are formed in the exterior wall of the inner shell 2 and are designated in general by the numeral 27, with which the aperture 23 and the transverse passage 24 communicate at one end. They are broken up, for in stance, by studs 28 so that the breath or indrawn air must follow a tortuous or meandering path from the aperture 23 to an aperture or apertures 13 in the outer shell, which afford communication with the exterior atmosphere. The meandering passages 27, by preference, extend from the aperture 23, first upwardly and over the cheek bones of the user, then downwardly over his checks to a distant point in the vicinity of or beneath his chin, and it is there that the aperture or apertures 13 are located. One such passage might be adequate, but it is preferred that two be employed, one within each cheekcovering area, for in this manner the individual passages may be made smaller and hence more obstructive, and yet a sufficient: passage or passages are provided for outgoing breath and for indrawn air.

As will be obvious, the meandering passages 27 might be formed instead in the interior wall of the outer shell 1, or in both the inner and outer shells to match one another, but it has been found simplest to form these passages 27 in the inner shell only. The inner shell being wholly of sponge rubber and without any appreciable stiffening, is self-conforming to and presses against the interior wall of the outer shell, to maintain the integrity and separateness of the individual portions of the passages. Moreover, the sponge rubber tends to deaden reverberation, and coupled with the provision of an air chamber 29 between the microphone and the users mouth, allows quite undistorted speech.

To complete the description, an aperture 14 is provided through the outer shell 1 for exit of the leads L from the microphone M.

It has been found that with such a microphone mask the man on the ground and the man in the cockpit can communicate readily at all times regardless of engine noise. The mask is rugged enough to be practical for line work and can be handled with one hand, giving the man on the ground, who is usually in charge of such a. test, the added freedom that he requires. It is readily separated into its two component shells and these are easily cleaned, for the meandering passages upon separation of the shells are freely open and accessible. Should the mask be dropped accidentally, its resilient construction protects the microphone from damage, and the tough outer skin protects the mask from abrasion.

I claim as my invention:

1. A mask primarily for voice communication in a region where the noise level is high, comprising two separate shells, namely, an inner shell of yieldable material internally contoured to fit the users face, including his nose, mouth, chin and checks, and a separable outer shell exteriorly shaped complementally to the interior shape of the outer shell to interfit closely with said inner shell, separable means to retain said shells thus interfitted, one of said shells being socketed for the reception and support of a microphone in position of use with relation to the users mouth, at least one of said shells, in its surface that mates With the other shell, being formed with at least one meandering air passage for inspiration and expiration by the user, extending from the vicinity of the users nose to a distant point, and the other such shell, in its mating surface, being formed to complete isolated passages when the two shells are interfitted, an aperture through the nose-covering portion of the inner shell admitting to the corresponding end of the meandering passage, and an aperture in the outer shell for communication between the distant end of the meandering passage and the external atmosphere.

2. A mask as and for the purpose stated in claim 1, wherein the meandering passage is formed in the exterior surface of the inner shell, the exterior surface of the outer shell having a form-sustaining skin.

3. A mask as and for the purpose stated in claim 1, wherein each shell is formed of sponge rubber or the like, the meandering passage being formed in and open at its one side to the mating surface of one of said shells, and the mating surface of the other shell being smoothly contoured to fit closely to the first-mentioned shell, to constitute the closure for the open side of said passage.

4. A mask as and for the purpose stated in claim l, wherein the inner shell is of molded sponge rubber or the like.

5. A mask as and for the purpose stated in claim 4, wherein the outer shell is also of sponge rubber or the like, with a form-sustaining outer skin, the inner and outer shells at their mating surfaces being formed at their margins with interengaging flanges constituting the separable means to hold them together in position of use.

6. A mask primarily for voice communication in a region where the sound level is high, comprising two separate shells, namely, an inner shell of resiliently yieldable material internally contoured to fit the users face, including his nose, mouth, chin, and cheeks, and socketed internally for the reception of a microphone in operative relationship to the users mouth, and a separable outer shell interiorly shaped complementally to the exterior of the inner shell to interfit closely with said inner shell, separable means to retain said shells thus interfitted, at least one of said shells, in its surface that mates with the other shell, being formed with meandering air passages disposed in each of the cheek-covering portions, and the other shell by its close interfitting with the first isolating the parts of the air passages, an aperture through the nose-covering portion of the inner shell admitting to an end of said meandering passages, and apertures through the outer shell for communication between a distant portion of each meandering passage and the external atmosphere, said apertures constituting the only communication with the interior of the mask and with the atmosphere, respectively.

7. A mask as and for the purpose stated in claim 6, wherein the apertures in the outer shell for communication with the meandering passages are located beneath the chincovering portion, the meandering passages each extending from the aperture in the nose-covering portion of the inner shell first upwardly over the cheek-bone and then downwardly to its aperture in the outer shell.

8. A microphone mask as in claim 6, each shell being formed with interfitting flanges held in interengagement during use by the resilience of the inner shell, and constituting the separable means to retain the shells interfitted.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,935,132 Scringeour Nov. 14, 1933 2,408,474 Newman et al. Oct. 1, 1946 2,505,765 Grau May 2, 1950 2,625,615 Webb Ian, 13, 1953 2,810,386 Reed Oct. 22, 1957 

